ATLA, Katara and Zuko's Secret Mission
by ATLA Fan Fictionist
Summary: A fiction story about Zuko and Katara who go on a secret mission into the Fire Nation. It leads to a friendly relationship between eachother, but Katara isn't sure if Zuko feels more for her then she does him. Suspense! Eventually Zutara :
1. Chapter 1, The Beginning

**Chapter 1.**

Katara balanced the basket of fruit on one hip and the basket of veggetables on the other, her hands gripping the sides of the baskets. The sun beat down on her back as she re-traced her steps back to the air temple. A trickle of sweat seeped down off of her brow, and onto her cheek. She shook her head from side to side, in an effort to shake the sweat off, but the sweat only slid further down her face. _ I hate heavy baskets. _She thought to herself. _From now on, I do the shopping, and Sokka can help carry the baskets. _Katara approached the air temple that hung up-side down on it's junctures. She headed for a small room that she stored the food in. There were 10 large pots in a corner of the dim-lit room with different kinds of food inside of then. She sorted the fruit into different pots, and then sealed it tight with the lid. There was one pot that had water in it, and she pulled the lid to open it. She peered at her reflection in the water. She looked exhausted. Her hair was damp from all the sweat, and her face was red from the heat. "Gosh, I'm a mess," She murmured. She lifted her hands to her face and bent the sweat out of her hair and clothes. _Where is everybody? _She thought as she bent the strip of sweat out the circular window. She heard a splashing sound, and Toph's screams following.

"WHO DID THAT?" Toph cried. "WHO JUST SPLASHED ME WITH SWEAT?"

Katara covered her mouth as a big grinned covered her face. "Oh no!" She peered out the window at a horrified Toph. Toph's head lifted up toward where Katara stood above her, her face had a look of pure disgust, as drips of sweat slid off of her green clothes and hair, forming a small puddle underneath her.

"Katara? Was that _you?_" She asked, her brow arched upward in an irritated fashion.

Katara giggled. "I didn't mean to! I wasn't looking," She said. "Hang on, I'll bend it off you," Katara said as she turned around and walked out of the room. She ran down the narrow steps that lead to where Toph was soaking wet.

"This is _gross!_" She complained. "Get this off me, RIGHT NOW, Katara!" Toph stomped her foot. "Your sweat stinks!"

Katara lifted her hands in the air and pulled the sweat off of Toph. She then poured it over the edge of the balcony, making sure it landed on some bushes far below.

"Hey, Katara!" Aang said, jumping down from the balcony above her, his clothes puffing out from underneath him as he landed on the ledge. "I saw what just happened! I almost fell off the balcony laughing!" He exclaimed, a grin playing on his face as he balanced on the edge of the air temple ledge. "You looked _so _mad, Toph!"

Toph's face turned red as she turned to face Aang. "You thought that was funny, Twinkletoes? Because I think mabye you should take some more time practicing your Earthbending. How's 20 Earth rumbles, 50 boulder excersizes, and 30 push-ups sound?" Toph folded her arms across her chest with a satisfied look on her face.

Aang winced, as he jumped off the balcony. "That sounds like alot of work...I think I'll pass! By the way, Katara, you shouldn't splash Toph with sweat anymore...Not nice," He said with a sheepish smile.

Toph smiled. "That's better, that's better," She walked away, nudging Katara as she walked past.

Katara rolled her eyes. "She's such a drama queen sometimes," She said. "It was an accident! Anyway, where's the others?" She put her hands on her hips.

Aang shrugged. "I'll go look for them," And he jumped up onto the balcony and onto the next, without another word.

"He'd better," She sighed, as she headed for the washroom to fix her matted hair. She then heard the sound of a sword being drawn, and the shout of Sokka's alarmed voice.

"What are you doing here?" Sokka cried from the balcony below her, his voice reverberating against the aged stone walls.

"I'm here to join you," A familiar voice rang through the air. "I'm on your side now."

Katara's heart pounded in her chest. _Zuko._ She pulled some water out of water pouch and carefully rounded it into a ball, as she ran down the stairs.

Zuko's head turned as he stared at Katara, alarm written all over his face. "I'm not here for a fight," He said, his expression full of uneasiness.

Katara rolled her eyes. "You aren't, are you? Do you expect us to just drop our weapons and let you take us down just like that? I'm not stupid, Zuko," She bent her water into ice-daggers, and noticed that his hair had grown longer since she'd last seen him. He wasn't carrying any weapons, but she knew he could still firebend at all of them.

Toph and Aang came running in, alarm and excitement written in their expressions. Toph took a steady stance and bent some rock from a clif nearby into a boulder-ball, ready to roll at Zuko, who warily backed away a few steps.

Aang pointed his staff at Zuko, and said with a clear voice, "What do you want, Zuko?"

Zuko looked around at their weapons. "I'm here to join you...I mean, I want to help you, I want to help the avatar," He explained. "I've changed."

Katara laughed. "Really? You expect us to trust you after all you've done? You really think that after what you did under Ba Sing Se would get you into actually _joining _our group?" Katara looked up and saw Haru, Teo, and the Duke staring down with wide eyes, as they watched the drama below.

Aang looked from Katara to Zuko. "You want to join us? Why?" He lowered his staff. "You have nothing here."

Zuko looked down at the ground. "I know I've hurt you guys, and I know that I probably look like a fool coming here, but, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here because I know that you need to learn Firebending, and I can help teach you. I've realized that it's me destiny to help you defeat my father, and to bring peace and balance to this world," Zuko looked Aang in the eye.

Aang looked at Katara. A firebending teacher! Someone who could teach Aang to firebend! But how could they trust him after everything he had done? Zuko had hunted them down several beyond several times, causing alot of trouble and distraught for the whole group.

Toph's eyes grew wide. "You guys, he's _not _lying." Her expression grew from worried to surprised as she lowered her earth-ball to the ground.

Katara stiffened her stance, still pointed her ice-daggers at Zuko. "So? He could turn on us. It's not like he hasn't hurt us _many times before_."

Zuko looked at Aang. "What about the time I let your Bison go? I could've kidnapped him, or worse, but I didn't. I let him go!" His face pleadingly stared Aang down.

Katara shook her head. "But does that change the time when you stole my necklace to track us down? Or when you-"

"Look! I know I've done some pretty bad things, and I'm sorry!" Zuko paused. "If you won't take me as a friend, then take me as a prisoner." Zuko bent down and put his arms together, ready to be bound.

Katara shot some water at Zuko, soaking him from head to toe. "We don't want you here! So leave! And if we ever see you here again...Well, we better not see you again!" She yelled.

Zuko stood. "Fine. But I'm truly sorry for all that I've done. If that means anything," He then walked away, with slow steps, his gaze slanted toward the ground.

"I can't believe he actually thought we would let him join our group!" Katara said, bending her water into her pocket. "Not for a minute would I even_ think _about letting him into our group after everything he's done!"

Toph's expression changed from shock to anger. "You don't realize what just happened, do you? Aang _badly_ needs someone to teach him firebending, and one walks up on a silver platter, and you won't _think _about it?" She pointed a finger at Katara. "You guys need to seriously re-think your strategy!"

"He can't be trusted!" Katara argued. "You wouldn't know, because you haven't been in our group for long enough, but let me tell you, it's too late for him. He's done far too much damage!"

Toph stomped her foot and turned to leave. "You know what? I'm beginning to wonder who's really the blind one around here," She left the area, her arms folded across her chest.

"She has a point, Katara," Sokka said, and Aang nodded.

Katara heaved a heavy sigh. "She does? Well, I happen to have a well-founded point, too!" She walked away. Anger spilled inside her as she sat down next to a bucket of water and grabbed a stick of soap to do laundry. "I can't believe them! Actually even _considering _to let him join. He's probably spying for Ozai or something like that. It just kills me to think of him joining our group!" She rubbed the soap onto one of Sokka's blue pants and scrubbed until white bubbles appeared on the fabric.

Toph stepped out into the forest. The cold dirt hit her feet as she walked toward where she could feel Zuko was camping out. If Katara wouldn't listen to Zuko, then she decided she would go talk to him herself. He hadn't been lying in the first place, so why would he lie to her now? She wondered if he would still be awake, because the night sky was already filled with stars, and the others had fallen asleap, leaving Toph to search for Zuko without any interuptions.

"Who's there?" Zuko's tinted voice rang out through the forest. He shot several fire-balls that landed in the spot that Toph stood on, bringing her to fall to the ground in pain.

Toph scrame. "It's me!" She bent a block of earth toward Zuko's chest, and he fell backwards. Toph's feet stung with a burning sensation, such as being boiled in a hot couldron. She closed her eyes in pain. "You burnt my feet! You_ burnt_ my feet!" She began crawling away, feeling the earth with her hands, her eyes shut tight in pain.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Please come back! I didn't know it was you!" Zuko cried, running after her, but being stopped by the chunks of stick-shaped dirt chucking up in his direction.

Toph didn't turn around, and she didn't reply to his cries. She had to get back to the air temple, so Katara could heal her feet. And she knew exactly what Katara would think when she saw her.

Katara stirred the pot of vegetables. Steam hit her face as she bent some hot water into the pot, making it a small stew. She opened up her sack of essentials, which she called it, and grabbed several bowls from it. "Lunch!" She called, gathering forks and spoons.

Sokka came running from the distance and sat down quikly next to Katara. "Smells great, Katara!" He rubbed his hands together next to the hot pot, warming his hands.

Aang walked out of the air-temple washroom with Teo and sat down. "Where's Toph?" He asked.

Katara shrugged. "I haven't seen her since last night...when, you know, when Zuko tried to weezle his way into our group," She said as she poured soup into bowls and handed them out. Suddenly, Haru came stumbling into eyes-sight with Toph wrapped gently in his arms.

Katara's jaw dropped as she ran toward them. "What happened?" She noticed that Toph's feet were a crusty red shade, and they looked painful.

"I got burnt," Toph said between gritted teeth.

"Oh no! What happened?" Katara asked as she quickly pulled some water from her pouch and soothed it onto the bottom of Toph's feet.

Toph sighed. "I already told you. I got burnt,"

"I meant how," Katara exchanged an annoyed glance with Sokka who silently laughed to himself.

"Well...I kind of went to see Zuko last night and-"

"What? You went to see Zuko last night and he burnt you?" Katara's voice filled with anger and rage. "I can't believe it! What a brat!" Katara furrowed her brows in fury.

Sokka supressed another laugh, covering his mouth with his hand. He then helped postion Toph on the edge of the water fountain as she settled her feet inside the cold water. "But he didn't do it on purpose," She explained.

Katara shook her head. "But he still shot fire at you, am I right?" She soothed some water around Toph's feet, using a back and forth motion.

Toph nodded her head slowly. "Yes. He did."

Katara shook her head. "I told you we shouldn't trust him! Toph's feet are burnt now!" She looked at Aang, who had a thoughtful look on his face. "Toph, you're not aloud to go near him, _ever again_. He's just too dangerous."

Toph sighed, but didn't say anything, instead, she leaned into the water and rubbed her feet, squirming as she touched the rough red spots.

Katara finished serving the stew and handed everyone a bowl. The hot stew slid down her throat as she looked at her group. Haru leaned his back against the fountain, saying something to Teo, who then nodded in agreement. They both stood up, and invited the Duke to join them."We're going to try to decifer those markings on that wall. They might be some sort of ancient air-scooter contraption. Could come in handy," Teo explained as the three ran up the stairs.

Aang looked Katara in the eyes, which made her nervous. She looked down at her bowl, and asked, "Is the stew ok?"

Sokka nodded with a mouthful of potatoe chunks. "Delicous!" He said swallowing, brown juice sliding down his chin. Katara always made sure that she tried to make Aang vegeterean meals, since he prerferred not to eat meat, as much as Sokka complained.

"You know, Toph was right. We should consider letting Zuko train me. There's no other firebender who can teach me right now!" Aang said quickly.

Katara shook her head. "Are you serious? After what he just did to Toph?" She took another bight of the hot stew, chewing the potatoes and carrots, mushing them around in her mouth. She still couldn't believe that Zuko had done that. And she didn't want to believe that it was an accident, either.

"I'm right here, you guys. You can stop talking about me like I'm not," Toph said. "And it _was_ an _accident. _He didn't mean to! I surprised him, really. He had no idea I was there."

Suddenly, a big boom emerged from the distance, and broke a pillar nearby, shattering the stone into thousands of pieces.

They all sprung to their feet, horror and terror filled their eyes as they saw Combustion Man standing at the cliff, anger and rage beaming back at them. Their recent combat with him hadn't been so pleasant, with the way he could blow things up with his mind. Plus, Katara had never liked the odd eye tattoo that sat in the middle of his forehead.

"Combustion Man is here!" Sokka pointed at him.

"Get behind that stone!" Aang called, as he pointed to a big wall that separated the upper half of the air temple from the lower. "He's got an advantage being up there! None of us can reach him!"

Katara quickly helped Toph up from the fountain with Sokka and carried her to safety as another crash hit the air temple. She then heard Zuko's voice. Her heart pounded. _Bad timing, Zuko._

"I cancel it! All of it! I don't want you hunting the Avatar any more!" Zuko stood on the ledge next to Combustion Man as he pleaded with him, his fists clenched. Combustion Man shook his head. Zuko's expression gave way to a distraught look. "I'll pay you _double _if you don't hunt him!"

Katara's ear's burned at what she was hearing, and she tightened her grip on Toph's arm.

"Ow Katara! Stop squeezing so hard!" Toph exclaimed.

"_He_ sent Combustion man after us?" Sokka's jaw dropped quickly as he stared at Zuko, who was still pleading with Combustion Man.

Katara couldn't believe her ears. "You've got to be kidding me!" She said, as she turned to see what happened next, the smell of smoke filling her nostrils.

Zuko shot a blast of fire at Combustion man, which burnt his arm, enthralling Combustion man into a rage of anger. Combustion man sucked in his nose, closed his eyes, and a spark shot right where Zuko was standing. Zuko disapeared over the ledge, and for a small moment, Katara hoped she would see him climb back up. But he didn't.

Sokka gasped. "_Now what_?"

Katara could feel a lump forming in her throat. Zuko, the guy who always almost won the battles, the guy who always fought with rage, the guy who _just_ fought to save their lives, just failed. _He's probably dead! _Katara thought. Sokka was right. What now? What would they do as Combustion man blew up the air temple? And where was Haru and the others? Had Combustion Man already gotten to them? Her mind raced to find a way around the Air Temple without getting hit by Combustion man.

Aang ran out to the clearing, trying to distract Combustion man, but nearly got himself blown up. He ran back to where Katara, Sokka, and Toph sat huddled behind the wall. "I can't reach him from up there!" Aang said breathlessly. "There's got to be a way to-"

Another spark ignited, just barely hitting Aang. The spark crashed into a nearby pillar, shattering it into crumbled pieces. Katara watched in horror as it crumbled to the ground. _That could've been Aang. _She swallowed.

Sokka's eyes widened as he pulled his boomerang out of his pocket. "I just need a clear shot," He said as he looked from the boomerang and back to the spot that Combustion man just shot at. "Don't fail me this time, Boomerang!" He threw it with all his might, and, as everyone held their breath, it landed right on Combustion Man's tattoo'd eye.

Combustion Man stumbled backwards, but he didn't look hurt. He sucked in his nose and closed his eyes, ready to strike, a look of victory written on his face.

Boomerang returned to Sokka and he cought it. "Boomerang!" He whined. "You failed me-"

A loud explosion filled the air. Katara heald tight to Toph's arm as she waited for them all to explode. But they didn't, rather, Combustion man and the ledge he was standing on _blew up._

Sokka hugged his boomerang. "You did it, Boomerang! You destroyed Combustion man!"

"What just happend?" Toph asked.

"Combustion Man just blew himself up!" Sokka exclaimed.

"I thought you guys were dead for sure!" A voice said. Haru was pushing Teo and the Duke walked beside them. "We saw the whole thing from the distance!"

Teo's eyebrow raised. "Now _that_ was what I call an _explosion_!" He exclaimed, excitement ringing from his voice.

The Duke laughed. "He actually thought he won!"

Katara turned to Toph. "How are your feet?" She asked, helping her into a standing position.

Toph smiled. "Much better, thank you, Katara. Oh, by the way, someone's coming," She said. And before Katara could ask who, Zuko came walking into view.


	2. Chapter 2, Zuko's Arrival

**Chapter 2.**

An eery silence crept apon the group. Katara's jaw dropped. _I thought he was dead! _She didn't know wether to be disapointed, angry, or relieved. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. _Of course he's alive. He's Zuko. _

Sokka walked up to Zuko and poked him on the chest with his index finger. "_You _sent Combustion man after us?" He asked, with a shocked look displayed on his face.

Zuko nodded his head. "I'm sorry," He fell to his knees. "I'm sorry for ever trying to hurt you," Zuko's voice cracked. It almost sounded like he was going to cry. He lifted his head to look at Aang. "I'm sorry for trying to capture you. For so long, all that ever mattered to me was to capture you, and bring you to my father...So I could regain my honor..." Zuko's voice trailed off. He stood up. "But now I know what my destiny is. It's to help you to defeat me father and win this war, and to teach you Firebending. My honor doesn't lie in the balance of how someone thinks of me." He cast a glance at Katara, then stiffened. He then turned to Toph. "And I'm so sorry for burning your feet. I had _no _idea that it was you. I swear. I've learned that fire is more then a weapon, but it's life. And I know that if you're not careful with it, you can hurt someone you love. So I promise from now on, I'll be careful, and I'll control my bending," He looked back at Aang.

Toph grinned. "No, no, I understand. It's natural for someone like you to simply start shooting fire-balls at the first random person to cross your path," She said with a sarcastic tone. "Especially at someone who's blind."

Zuko looked at Toph, was about to say something, then stopped himself. "I-I had no idea you were blind," He examined her eyes. "I wondered why you never made eye contact with me...Why I never get any dirty looks from you."

Sokka blirted out laughing, but quickly stopped himself. This was clearly not a time to laugh.

Aang looked at Zuko, then stepped toward him. "I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher,"

Zuko nodded. "That's great!"

"But you can't join our group until my friends have a say in it," Aang turned to look at Toph. "Toph? Zuko's the one who burned your feet. What do you think of him joining?"

Toph didn't hesitate with her answer. "I think it's a fine idea, because that gives me some payback time for the burnt feet," Toph lifted her hand in the air and made a fist, and slapped it into her other hand.

Aang looked at Sokka. "Sokka?"

Sokka looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said, "I think it's fine. You need to learn firbending and that's clearly what he's offering. You might not ever get a chance like this again."

"Ok. Katara?" Aang asked. "What do you think?"

Zuko's face paled, and sweat dripped off his brow. He clenched his fists as he stared at Katara's unmoved expression.

"Aang, if it's what you think is best, then he can join," She said, making sure she didn't make eye contact with Zuko, turning her face away.

Zuko's shoulders relaxed a bit and a small smile crept along his face. "I won't let you down, I promise," He said, stepping forward.

Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph turned around to leave. Katara suggested that Sokka should show him to his room.

"Well, your room is right here...And, uh, you sleep right there, and there's a small dresser over there...Meals are usually held by the fountain. And the washroom is right down the hall past Katara's room," Sokka pointed out the several different areas of the Air Temple.

Zuko nodded. "Thanks," He said as he sat down on the bed, breathing in the fresh breeze that blew in from the window.

"Oh, and if you're in need of anything, like water, Katara usually takes care of that, and if you're hungry...Well, Katara does that too, and... come to think of it...Katara does the laundry, as well," Sokka fumbled with his words. "So yeah, that's just about it, I think," Sokka left the room and walked down the hall to where Aang was standing. "Ok, this is really weird."

"Yeah, I know. But we'll get used to it," Aang smiled. "I wonder when he'll start training me."

Dinner came with an extra slice of silence. Nobody was talking. Sokka, who usually made noises and comments about how delicious Katara's cooking was, didn't make one comment at all. Katara knew the silence only occurred because of Zuko, who sat some distence away from the rest of the group, his back leaning against a pillar, as he held a plate of bread, spiced sea-prunes, and fresh parshnips. Katara wasn't sure about him being in the group. He hadn't started training Aang yet, and she wasn't sure why. He seemed hesitant about it, as if he didn't know what to do. Katara constantly cought herself staring at Zuko's scar. The rough, redness of it made her squirm. She didn't know how it happned, why it was there. Zuko cought her staring, and she quickly looked down on her now food. Her mind was reeling from the days events. She noticed that she hadn't taken a nice, refreshing bath for a while because of all the chores she had been doing. She stood up, wiped off her dress, and placed her food inside the wash bin. "Uh, can I get help with the dishes tonight?" She asked as she filled the bucket with water from the fountain. Even her own voice sounded odd as it broke the eery silence.

Sokka looked up at her and stuffed a huge spoonful of food in his mouth. "I will," He said, in between swallowing.

Katara grinned. How odd it was that Sokka, who usually _never _helped with the chores decided to help out tonight. She was definitly going to take advantage of this. "Well, start scrubbing, while I gather the plates," She said.

Sokka groaned, and picked up the soaking wet washrag.

Katara made her rounds, as she smiled at each person who handed her a plate. When she got to Zuko, her smile disapeared and she awkwardly took the plate from his hands.

"Thanks, you know, for the dinner," He mumbled.

Katara turned around and left him sitting there. She didn't feel bad at all. Why should she have to treat him the way she did everybody else? He was the outsider of the group. Just because he appoligized and promised to teach Aang to firebend (which still wasn't happening) didn't mean she was going to act as if the past wasn't there. It _was _there. And it was fresh in her mind. The fire, the fighting, the anger. The time he betrayed her under Ba Sing Se, the time he had tied her to a tree. When he stole her necklace...Those memories still lingered in her mind, fresh, like the warmth of the food that was now in her stomach.

Later that night, Katara found Zuko in his room, with a picture frame in his hand. He hadn't noticed she was there, and he was tracing the frame with his index finger. The picture looked like it was a family, which she didn't recognize. But she did notice that the little boy on the picture resembled Zuko, but without the scar.

"Hey," She said in a small, but commanding tone.

Zuko lifted his head up from the picture and placed in on the bed. He stood up, and awkwardly ran his hands through his hair. "Hi," He said.

Katara walked into the room and looked around. It seemed pretty neat, other then a shirt on the floor, and a dresser drawer was open. She stepped in front of Zuko and folded her arms across her chest. "Just because you proved yourself out there with Combustion man, doesn't mean I'm going to trust you. If you make one wrong move, give me _one _reason to think that you'll hurt Aang, take _one _step out of balance, and I will make sure that this 'destiny' of yours, comes to an end. Right then and there. Permanently." She looked straight into his eyes. He blinked, and then looked to the ground. She could hear his breath slowly ascending, and she could see the details of his scar. "One reason," she said as she left the room. She headed for the washroom and splashed some water on her face. She hadn't noticed how late it had become, and hoped that someone would still be up to help her boil some water for her bath. But Aang and the rest of the gang had fallen asleap in a tired heap next to Appa.

She heaved a heavy sigh as she approached the far end of the air temple, staring up at the night sky. The stars shone brightly against the dark blue sky, and the thought of a hot bath sounded perfect at a time like this. And only one person was awake who could, with Firebending, heat her water. _No, I'm not going to ask Zuko for help! He'll think...He'll think I depend on him for something! And I don't. I won't. Ugh! _Katara shifted her wait so she was leaning on the rail of the air-temple. A cold, irritating breeze hit her face, leaving her to shiver and want a hot bath even more. She returned to the washroom, and found the candles that once lit the room had been blown out by the breeze. "Great," She mumbled. Now she really needed Zuko's help, because she had no spikerocks available.

She slowly trudged down the hall to Zuko's room, knocked on the door, and it opened. "What?" Zuko's voice came out jaded and tired.

Katara hesitated before saying, "I need light." She could barely see his face, but she could almost imagine his face, full of delight with her asking him for help.

"What do you need light for?"

"I need it so I can see. The candles blew out in the washroom."

Zuko didn't speak for a moment, and she was begining to wonder if he was secretly laughing at her. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you...Uh, well, I've been meaning to tell Aang, too," He stuttered with his words.

"What? Are you going to tell me that you've decided that this just isn't the job for you and you're going to blow our heads off while we're sleeping?"

Zuko stiffened. "No, it's not like that. And it's not like I could just blow your heads off, anyways, because, well, uh, I've lost my stuff."

"Your stuff? What stuff?" Katara put her hands on her hips. "Because if your accusing me of stealing any of your stuff, well, let me tell you-"

"No, I meant, well, I lost my firebending."

"How could you have _lost _your firebending?"

"I don't know! Ever since I joined your group, I haven't been able to make barely a spark!"

"Are you blaming _us _for this?" She asked accusingly.

She could hear Zuko shake his head and put his hands up in the air. "I'm not blaming anybody, much less anything. All I'm saying is, _I can't firebend._"

Katara was perplexed. How could someone just lose their bending? And how is it that the moment he joins their group, he can't firebend? "You're not playing some joke, are you? Because you're really good at firebending. You better not be playing a joke." She stated.

"No, I swear. Watch-" Zuko hesitated, "well, I don't think you can see, but if you wait until the morning, I can show you. It's gone. I mean, it's not completely gone but it's really, _really _weak."

Katara shook her head. This could not be happening. She wasn't upset because Zuko just lost his precious firebending, (it acutally could do him some good) but she was more upset for Aang's sake. They _needed _Zuko to teach him firebending. It was essential. "Just...Just, go to sleep. We'll talk in the morning." Katara suddenly felt very drowsy, and she could feel a head-ache coming on. As she walked toward her bedroom, and shut the door, thoughts clouded her mind as she pulled the covers over her shoulders. _How is this happening? Why? How can he just lose it, when he used to firebend like a pro? Did I just compliment him? I need some sleep! _Katara closed her eyes, hoping that in the morning, answers would come.

Katara opened her eyes to someone touching her shoulder. It was Aang. His bright smile and blue eyes made her forget all about last-night, and the hope of a new day came with the bright light streaming through her window.

"Good morning, Katara, I brought you a banana, and something called a Firefruit. Zuko cut them down from the trees! He says they're really good!" Aang placed a bowl in front of her. "You slept in," He stated.

Katara sat up. She looked at the sky. It was clear blue, with no clouds. "Where is everyone? Did you all get something to eat?" She asked.

Aang nodded. "Believe it or not, Zuko makes some pretty good fruit salad. Even Toph liked it!"

Katara couldn't believe it. She had slept in, missed making breakfast, and _Zuko _had decided to take her place and make the breakfast himself! And to top it off, Toph actually liked his cooking! Toph _hated _her cooking! "Oh, that's...nice," Katara picked up the fruit in the bowl and smelled it. "But are you sure this isn't rotten?"

Aang took the fruit from her hand and smelled it. "It smells fine, and Zuko said that if the fruit is not too hard, but not too squishy, then it's perfectly ripe, and in the best condition to eat," He handed the fruit back to her.

"Oh, well, I'm not hungry right now. Just save it for me, ok? And I need to talk to you about something," Katara said, remembering her conversation with Zuko last-night. "But first, I'd like to take a nice hot bath. Think you could help me with the water?" She asked as she slipped out of the covers and handed the fruit bowl to Aang.

Aang gave her a sheepish look. "Well, I was actually going to go riding with Teo on my glider, but I'm sure Zuko could help you! He's the firebender, you know!" Aang ran out of the room without another word.

Katara glowered at the thought of _Zuko _heating her bathwater. "He's just sucking up to everybody so they'll like him!" She said to herself. Katara finally settled with taking a cold bath, brushed her hair, and emerged from the wash-room feeling refreshed and satisfied. She noticed Zuko was bent over, showing the Duke how to properly polish his helmet.

"You just go in a circular motion like this, and," He spat on the helmet, "Don't be afraid to you some of your spit. It ads a special shine to it," He wiped the helmet with a rag once more and handed it to the Duke.

"Looks better then ever!" The Duke held it up to the sun. "Wow!"

Katara rolled her eyes. She walked past Zuko and up to Toph, who was sitting on the balcony, pretending to watch Aang and Teo gliding. "Do you need a foot massage today, Toph?" She asked.

"Oh, no, I'm fine. Zuko already did that. He said it was a way to help appoligize," Toph said. "Oh, did you try the fruit salad that Zuko made? It's amazing!" She licked her lips.

"No, I'm not in the mood for fruit salads," Katara said, loud enough for Zuko to hear. She couldn't believe that everyone was already warming up to Zuko...It was as if the past had never happened, and they were all best friends. "Shouldn't you be teaching Aang some firebending?" She looked directly at Zuko, who was now leaning over the balcony to the right of Toph.

Zuko stared at her with a look that said _don't you remember our conversation last-night?_

Katara laughed. "Oh, right! Aang, come here!" She called.

Aang stopped gliding and landed on the air-temple. "Yes, Katara?" He said with a polite, easy to please voice.

"Aang, Zuko has something disturbing to tell you." She notioned at Zuko.

Zuko looked from Katara, to Toph, and a now emerging Sokka, who looked like he had just woken up from a very long sleep.

"What's this about disturbing?" Sokka yawned, his arms stretched out in the air. "And what is the delicous colofrul stuff?" He picked up a bowl of Zuko's fruit salad and bit down into it. "Wow! This is amazing!" Fruit juice slipped down his chin.

"About time you woke up, Snoozles," Toph said. She had come up with nicknames for each of them, and referred to Sokka as 'Snoozles'.

"Yeah yeah. So what is it you were going to say, Zuko? You're going to take over the cooking job? Because this salad is amazing!" He took another big bight of the salad, juice splattering onto Momo, who was happily chomping on his own bowl of salad. "You did make this, right?"

Zuko hesitated, but then said, "Yes...but what I needed to say was...well, I told Katara about this last night, and I assumed she would've told you guys..." He looked at Katara. "But-well, you slept in, so,"

Katara eyed him. "So, _get to the point_," She urged him.

"I've lost my bending," He said.

Toph's mouth dropped open, and Aang's eyes grew as wide as Appa's. Even Sokka stopped chewing his salad. Everyone was staring at Zuko.

"You what-now?" Sokka asked with an exasperated look.

Toph rolled her eyes. "He _lost _his bending. Doesn't get any more simple than that."

Aang pointed at Zuko with his index finger. "What? How? This doesn't help the situation at all! How?" He asked again. "You're supposed to teach me firebending! That's why you joined our group!"

Zuko shrugged his shoulders. "That's the odd thing, when I joined your group, I lost it. I can barely make even a spark!" Zuko got into a classic firebending position and punched at the air the way he usually did when want to create a fireball, but nothing came out be a scanty puff of smoke. "See?"

Sokka suddenly jumped up. "I've got an idea! We've got to make Zuko mad!" He poked Zuko on the head, then the forearm, and the back. "Are you mad yet?"

Zuko gave a disoriented look. "I'm a little annoyed, but not mad...But I don't see how this non-sense is going to help."

Katara smiled. "Neither do I. So I think Sparky here should just go back to wherever he came form and we can move on with our normal lives." She said saracasticly.

Toph laughed. "Katara, you just came up with the _perfect _nickname for Zuko! Sparky! Haha!"

Sokka snickered. "Hey, _Sparky_, are you angry now? You've just got yourself a pretty embarrassing nickname...I'd be pretty mad if someone called _me _Sparky!" Sokka laughed.

Zuko frowned. "It's not that bad..." He looked from Sokka to Katara. "Did you mean that? You want me to leave?"

Panic shot through Toph as she jumped down from the balcony and stood in front of Zuko. "Oh no, he's not going anywhere! I still owe him big-time payback!"

Zuko's face pinked as he stepped away from Toph.

Katara took a long breath in and released it slowly. "Yes, Zuko, I _do_ want you to leave. But from the looks of it, you're just far too special to leave!" She turned around and left the area, glaring at Zuko as she left.

Aang looked at Zuko. "There's got to be a reason why you can't bend."

Zuko looked thoughtful, and then his scarred eye popped up. "Wait...Wait wait wait. What have I used my firbending on before?" He looked at Aang.

Aang shrugged. "I guess, well, for hunting me."

Zuko nodded. "Exactly. So if I hunted you, if that's what drove me, if _anger _drove me, then I have no drive, nothing to produce that fire."

Sokka gave an irritated look. "That's what _I've_ been _trying _to say. You need to be angry again! Katara! Get in here! You need to start yelling at Sparky!"

Zuko shook his head. "I can't just constantly be driven by anger. I need to find a new source."

Aang lit up. "What about the original source? How did the first firebenders learn?"

"The Sun Warriors were the first firebenders. The learned from the dragons. But my ancestors hunted all the dragons and killed them! They would be dead by now." Zuko said. "But their civilization might not be. I know where the old ruins are. We might be able to learn something just by visiting their old city."

"We should do that, then," Aang looked thoughtfuly at Zuko.

Katara walked into the room just as a gust of wind swept through. "Oh no. I do not trust Zuko enough to actually go on a journey _alone _with you, Aang," She eyed Zuko.

"Katara, this is probably the only chance I will get to learn firbending, besides, Zuko can barely harm me! He can't bend! I can," Aang stated.

Katara ignored the _ha I told you _look on Zuko's face. Instead, she walked up to Zuko. "How do we know he's not _pretending _to lose his firebending, just so he can go on a field trip alone with Aang, and then capture Aang? How do we know that fight with Combustion Man wasn't all just a big play that Zuko payed him to do?"

Sokka's mouth dropped open. "You have a serious grudge problem, don't you, Katara?"

"I'm just staying on the safe side, that's all." She turned to leave, but Zuko grabbed her wrist.

"Listen, I'm _not _going to hurt Aang, I promise. And if you want to be sure you can trust me, then just ask everybody who has the meal I made for them in their stomachs. If I really wanted Aang dead, I could've just poisened the fruit he just ate. He would've already been dead."

Katara looked pale, and for a moment, she wanted to squeeze the life out Zuko. "Fine. Go. See if I care." She tugged her arm free, and before leaving, she said, "But if you come back without Aang, I will _personally_ make sure you _don't _see the light of _another _day."

Aang mounted Appa for the flight he and Zuko were about to take. He wasn't sure about what Zuko was trying to say about seeing the ancient Sun Warriors old ruins, but he hoped that if Zuko was right, they would both learn something about Firebending. It made sense that Zuko lost his firebending because he had no drive, but he hoped that Zuko hadn't lost his firebending permanently. Aang turned around to see Zuko comfortably leaning against Appa's saddle, grasping a small map of the borders of the air-temple.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked.

Aang shrugged his shoulders. "Yip-Yip!"

Appa hoisted himself into the air, sending a large tide of air that hit Zuko, leaving his hair pulled back into daggar-like shapes. Aang tried his best to supress a belly of laugh, but it rolled out anyway, resonant and very uncontrolled.

Zuko's expression turned from somber to irritated. "What? Why are you laughing?" He fold his arms across his chest. He said something else, but his voice was carried away as another gush of wind hit him.

This time, Aang laughed even louder. "Your hair!" He exclaimed, his eyes tearing up.

Zuko's face paled as he rearranged his hair so that it looked somewhat normal again. His raspy voice rang through the air, "For some reason, I thought this bison of yours would fly alot faster than this."

Aang only shrugged his shoulders, his cheeks still red froom laughing so much, and a grin still splayed on his face.

After some time of flying, Zuko leaned over Appa's saddle and pointed. "We're here."

Below, the stone walls of the ancient Sun Warrior's civilization came into view. It was surrounded by a lush jungle. There were many broken down rocks and crumbled pillars, but it still looked like people had survived there, many years ago. The sun gave it a glinted, ancient feeling that gave way to a long path that lead toward a large summit top building with inscriptions paved on the outside of it.

"Wow," Aang observed his surroundings and he and Zuko jumped off of Appa and looked around. "I sure hope we learn something about firebending here."

Zuko nodded. "Me too."


	3. Chapter 3, Friends and Family

**Chapter 3. **

"_Katara! Wake up! KATARA!" _Katara's eyes jolted open. She looked up at Sokka who had an eager expression on his face. "Someone is here to visit us!" A smile crept along his cheeks, and his cheerfulness made her heart jump.

Katara sat up and yawned. She had just layed down for a small nap when Zuko and Aang had left. She needed the rest, because she couldn't stop worrying if Aang was safe or not. "Who's here?" She asked as she leaned down to put her sandles on.

"Some old friends," Sokka grinned as he left the room.

Katara quickly looked herself in the mirror that was on the small table next to her bed. She looked a bit tired, but her hair was fine. She looked out the window, and noticed that the sky had darkened, and stars now replaced a once bright sky. She walked out of the room and could hear 3 very familiar voices. As she entered the air-temple corridors, her heart almost lept out of her chest when she saw Hakoda standing next to a pot of boiling water. "Dad!" She cried as she ran into his arms. Salty tears slid down her cheeks as she looked into his eyes.

"Oh Katara," He hugged her tightly. "I've missed you, alot."

Katara backed away for a moment and looked at her father. He had a white bandage wrapped around his right arm, and he looked alot skinnier then when she had last seen him. But his blue eyes still shown brightly as he looked at her, full of love and happiness.

"Katara, it's nice to see you again!" Katara spun around and saw Suki smiling at her. Sokka had an arm around her, and Katara smiled. "It's nice to see you too, Suki." Katara turned to look at Hakoda. "How? How did you guys make it out of the prison?"

Hakoda grinned, and in walked Uncle Iroh, a big grin on his face. Katara smiled. "You helped them, didn't you?" She hugged the old man as another tear slid down her cheak. "Thank you," She whispered.

Iroh nodded, his cone-shaped beard bobbing up and down. "Now sit down and have some calming Jasmine, tea, and we will tell you all about how we escaped."

Katara sat down as Iroh poured a hot cup of tea into a cup for her, and then handed it to her. "Anyone else want some tea?" He asked. Tea, Haru, and the Duke were already sipping their tea, with wide eyes at how good it tasted.

Toph raised her hand. "I sure do. I still remember the time you gave me tea. It was the best tea I ever had!"

Iroh laughed. "Well, thank you, miss Toph," He poured her some and handed it to the blind, but awed girl and watched her take a sip.

"It's great!" She licked her lips, letting the steam float from the cup, up past her face.

Katara scooted closer to Hakoda, who wrapped his arm around her. "How are you, Katara? Sokka told me how upset you are that Zuko joined your group."

Katara nodded as she sipped the warming tea. "I'm just not sure I can forgive him right now," She fingered the little tea-cup, tracing the little pink flower with her index finger.

Iroh sat down across from Katara. "My nephew has been confused throughout his life. He didn't know what choices to make, or what path to take. It took him a while to realize that it isn't a person's honor that shapes out their destiny," Iroh sipped his tea thoughtfuly. "I haven't seen Zuko for some time. When did he join your group?"

Katara set her tea-cup down and rested her head on Hakoda's shoulders. "Just a couple of days ago," She sighed, sending a small glance at Sokka who was enjoying his tea with Suki wrapped around his arm.

Iroh nodded. "I look forward to seeing him."

Toph smiled. "You know, he's really sorry, I can tell. And he really regrets what he did to you." She stated.

Iroh looked up from his tea. "I know. And I forgive him, but I'm not sure he forgives himself. He's been through a lot throughout his life. He has alot of hurt and regret to deal with."

Katara looked down to the ground. She knew what everyone expected of her. They wanted her to forgive Zuko. But how could she? He had done so much to hurt her. How could someone just forgive like that? But Zuko betrayed his own uncle, and Iroh had already forgiven him. Katara's mind spun with thoughts of how steady and strong Iroh was, as she looked at the old man talk about different kinds of teas to Haru.

"The purple dragon-flower tea is one of my personal favorites. It has a flavor that bursts into your mouth with such strong invigorance, and then it's flavor turns into a sweet tart like flavor. It's very good."

Katara smiled. She liked the way Iroh liked tea. It made up some of his wise personality, yet very interesting personality. She let the thought of Zuko seeing his uncle again seep through her mind, and a corner of her mouth slid out, revealing a small smile.

"Do you need some rest, Katara?" Hakoda looked at her with concern in his voice.

Katara shook her head. "I'm fine. I want to wait for Aang to get back. He'll be happy to see everyone," She said as she got up to get more tea. "May I have some more? This is great tea."

Iroh nodded. "Of course. Tea is a calming fluid. It helps bring out the stress in someone. And since your asking for a second cup, I assume that you have alot of stress realing through your mind." Iroh eyed Katara as she bent more tea into her cup.

She sighed. "I'll try to forgive your nephew, and I'll try to act kinder to him, for your sake. But it's so hard to forgive someone who did something like that," She turned around and sat next to Hakoda.

"Enough talk about forgiveness, I want to know how you guys escaped the prison!" Toph said.

The sound of Appa's grunt alerted Katara that Aang and Zuko had returned. She put the bowl of stew down and ran to greet Aang while Hakoda and the rest of the group finished eating. Momo followed her, and rested himself on Appa's nose in a comfortable greeting.

"Katara! We learned firebending!" Aang shouted as he saw her approaching. He positioned himself into a classic firebending stance and shot some flame over the edge of the Air Temple. "We learned it from the last 2 dragons that are still alive! It was amazing! And did you know the Sun Warriors civilization is _still _there, with people? They've kept the first fire burning for hundreds of years!"

She smiled. "That's great, Aang!" She glanced at Zuko, who was climbing off Appa. He glanced at her, but quickly looked away. "Oh, by the way, your uncle is here," She mumbled.

Zuko's scarred eye popped up. "What?" He looked at her franticly, searching her eyes for answers.

She turned to Aang. "And so is my father, and Suki. Iroh helped them escape the prison."

Aang smiled. "I'm so happy, Katara! Let's go see them!" Aang looked at Zuko and then ran off into the direction of where everyone was sipping their tea. Katara hesitated before leaving. She looked at Zuko. He was bent down on his knees, his hands grasping the top of his head. She could see the light red shade of his scar peaking out. It looked rugged and rough. She wondered how it felt on his skin.

"Zuko?" Katara heard Iroh's voice. She looked his way, smiled, and then walked past him. She stopped behind a pillar, so she could watch what happened, even though a small part of her told her she shouldn't spy on them.

Zuko looked up at Iroh and ran into his arms. She saw tears dripping off his cheek, and she saw Iroh squeeze Zuko into a tight hug. "My nephew," He said.

Zuko closed his eyes and stammered for words. "I-Uncle- I," He shut his eyes tighter as more tears flowed off his cheek and onto Iroh's red robe. "I'm sorry, Uncle," His voice was raspy and it cracked as he spoke. "I'm so, _so _sorry," He squeezed Iroh with his hands, hugging him even tighter.

Katara felt tears form in her eyes as she watched the 2 embraced. She covered her mouth with her hand so that they didn't hear her sniffle. Zuko was truly sorry.

Iroh clasped his hands around Zuko's shoulders and examined him with a smile. "My nephew, I forgave you, a _very long _time ago."

Zuko hugged Iroh again and looked into his Uncle's eyes. "It took me a long time to realize that my destiny was to help teach the Avatar to firebend, but I would have _never _been able to figure it out without your help, Uncle," Zuko looked down the ground. "Thank you."

Iroh shook his head. "Don't thank me. You found your way by yourself, I was only there to support you. I'm the one who should be thanking you. After my only son had died, I had nothing left in me, but you gave me a purpose to keep on living, Zuko. You are smart. I knew you would find your way."

Zuko smiled. She had never seen Zuko like this, and for a moment, she fealt bad for him, the way she did under Ba Sing Se.

"Katara?" Katara jumped and turned around. Aang was holding a bowl of stew in his hand. She smiled. "Hi, Aang. I was just...thinking," She lied.

Aang nodded. "I know how much you don't like Zuko, but if you give him a chance, you'll really begin to like him. He's not that bright, but I don't think I would've had the courage to face those dragons if he wasn't there." Aang said as they both walked back to the center of the air temple together.

"Are you ok?" Hakoda asked with concern in his voice as he saw Katara approaching.

Katara nodded, then said, "I'm off to bed...I'm tired." She smiled at the group and headed for her room. As she shut the door behind her, a tear rolled down her cheek. She never thought she could ever feel such joy, but after seeing Zuko with Iroh, she knew that what those 2 had was a true bond that could never be broken. Zuko was truly sorry, and Iroh was truly forgiving. She knew what she had to do next. But she wasn't sure if she was ready. Not yet. She was still confused. And angry. The comfort of knowing that Hakoda was here, safe, that Sokka had Suki, and that Aang was learning firebending, lulled Katara to sleep that night, as the recent memories of Zuko and his Uncle flashed through her mind, leaving a tranquil peace to guide her dreams.


	4. Chapter 4, Secret Missions

**Chapter 4.**

"If the firelord get's the weapon made, he will destroy anything and everything. He will even conquer the great city of Ba Sing Se!" Hakoda's crisp voice rang through the air temple, reverberating off the walls. Katara listened with deep concentration at what he was saying as she leaned against the stone wall with her buttered bread and cup of tea that Iroh had prepared. Hakoda shifted his weight from side to side as he handed a scroll to Zuko. "If someone could get inside the palace somehow, I know there could be a way to retrieve the battle plans. That's why we found you," Hakoda looked from Zuko then to Katara with a serious expression.

Sokka gave out his best _I'm confused _look. "Your saying that one of us has to actually _go _to the Fire nation and _get_ the battle plans?"

Iroh took the scroll from Zuko. "That's the plan, but there would have to be 2 of you. Hakoda and I were talking, and we thought Zuko should be one of them, since he would have a good excuse to go back."

Zuko looked bewildered. "What excuse? I'm hated in the Fire Nation."

"If Zuko went back to the fire nation, he could say he is looking for his mother. That would be the only good reason for him to return," Suki pointed out.

Aang nodded. "But how would he get _in _the palace?"

"That was our second part of the plan. We wanted to send Katara with Zuko as part of the plan." Hakoda eyed Katara with a steady gaze.

Katara looked at Hakoda with peircing eyes. "And why me?" She couldn't believe her ears. She was being set up!

The wrinkles around Iroh's eyes scrunched up as he smiled. "Because, Katara, you are good bait for the Avatar," Iroh winked at her.

Katara felt her face redden as she shot a glance at Aang. His cheeks were red as well.

"How is she good bait?" Toph asked. "That makes no sense."

Sokka sighed. "You guys are _clueless_. Everyone knows that Aang cares for Katara, _alot. _If Katara went with Zuko, claiming that she ran away because she was too big a distraction for Aang, then firelord Ozai would want to use you, Katara, as bait for the Avatar."

Katara winced. "Me, as bait? This is so dangerous!"

Hakoda placed his hand on Katara's shoulder. "It is dangerous, but this might be the only chance we get of retrieving the battle plans."

"But how would we _get_ the battle plans?" Zuko asked, as he leaned forward.

Iroh smiled. "If I know one thing, the firelord would want to keep his 'bait' well cared for so they couldn't run away. Ozai would probably put you under Azula's care, somewhere _inside _the palace, where you 2 can then find a way to get the battle plans. Possibly sneaking out at night."

Zuko stood up. "This is way too dangerous! What if they don't believe us? We could end up being inprisoned, or _worse_!" He shot a glance at Katara and then to Iroh. "And what about Aang's firebending? I just got my fire back! He needs to learn!"

Aang stood up now, too. "Iroh, you are a great firebender. You could teach me," He looked at Iroh.

Iroh nodded. "Exactly."

Zuko shook his head. "This is crazy! You're all _crazy! _I finally found Aang, so I can teach him firebending and help him save the world, and I'm not going to leave him. And neither are you," He pointed his index finger at Katara.

Aang clenched his fists. "Listen, I know I need you guys, but I can take care of myself for a while, I've got 2 very responsible, respectable adults with me! I'm_ not_ a baby!" His eyebrows furrowed with anger.

Katara stood now, and her eyes peirced Zuko. "I'm not going _anywhere _with you," She walked past him, anger and resentment spilling out of her. "And don't any of you bother asking me again! It's as if none of you care about how I feel! I will not be set up like this!" She ran into her room and made sure she slammed the door loud enough for all of them to hear. She heard Suki say something, and Sokka reply with a slow, mumbling voice.

Later that day, Katara heard a knock on her door. "Katara? Can I come in?" It was Aang.

She was laying on her bed, her back to the rest of the room. "Come in, Aang," She murmured. She heard the door open, and Aang entered with a hot cup of tea in his hand. He placed it on the table next to her. "I'm sorry I got so angry," She said in a small, shallow voice, as she sat up. "I just can't believe they would choose me to go with Zuko. Everyone knows I hate Zuko," She sipped the cherry flavored tea. The hot liquid ran down her throat, warming her belly.

"I'm sorry, too. And I understand how you feel. If you need some time to think about their plan-"

Katara cut in. "I've already thought about it. And I'm not going. There is _no way_ it will work."

Aang shook his head as he sat at the edge of her bed. "But it's a well thought out plan. You would just have to be careful, and be sure to be surreptitious about the plan. And use careful words. It wouldn't be that hard. And Zuko would be there to take care of you," Aang explained.

"I'm not going to leave you. And I don't _want _Zuko to take care of me. We don't get along. You know that," Katara sighed.

Aang looked at her. "I don't want to make you do anything you really don't want to do." He left the room with a big sigh.

Katara got out of bed and examined herself in the mirror. She adjusted a few things on her hair, and then straightened out her blue dress. She fingered the necklace her mother gave her for a moment, then walked out of the room, in search of Hakoda. She had a few words of resentment she needed to tell him, although she wasn't as angry as she was earlier. She was still confused at how her own father would actually set her up like that. Sokka had told Hakoda about the dislike Katara had for Zuko. And Hakoda had come up with a plan like that? "Dad?" She asked, peering inside Hakoda's room. He was leaning against the wall with an old photo in his hand. He immediately tucked the picture under a blanket and smiled at her.

"Katara, come in," He stood up, holding his arms out, ready to embrace her in a hug.

Katara shook her head. "I can't believe you did that, Dad," She tried to look as hurt as she possibly could without showing the guilt in her face for not hugging him back.

His smile turned into a confused frown of disapointment. "What?"

Katara bit her lip. "You set me up like that. You _know _I don't like Zuko, and you set me up!"

Hakoda shook his head. "Oh Katara," He looked into her eyes. "I had made that plan with Iroh before I knew you didn't like Zuko. I had no intention of hurting your feelings," He gave a drab look. "You don't have to go. Especially if that makes you so uncomfortable." He paused, and then kissed her on the forehead. "You need to eat something, I'll tell Sokka to heat you up some potato-fillings," Hakoda left the room.

Katara sighed. As she went throughout the day, she could feel the odd quietness of everyone's stares. The new feeling of the world being put on her shoulders took a toll on her that day. The thought kept hitting her like a wave: _Will I be responsible if thousands of people die because of this war machine the fire nation is making? _She often wondered if Zuko was asking himself the same question, because she knew that he didn't want to go, either. At dinnertime, the quietness finally took it's strike. "Fine! I'll do! I'll go with Zuko to the Fire Nation!" She put her hands into the air. "I'll go!" _Everyone _turned to look at her, including Zuko.

Hakoda put his hand on her shoulder. "Katara, you don't have to do this. We all understand the situation you are in."

Katara nodded. "But I have to do this. If I don't, I'll be responsible for thousands of people's deaths!"

"No you won't, the Fire Nation will. You really shouldn't pressure yourself like that, Katara," Suki said in a soft voice.

Katara shot her a glance. "What would _you_ know about pressure? What would any of you know about pressure? I've been walking around all day trying to act normal and I get this cold silence from all of you! Because I am _not _comfortable going to the Fire Nation with Zuko!"

Zuko looked up from his rolled fish-steak. "Neither am I, but I'm willing to go, if it means saving the world. It's not fun for me, either. I'm going to have to face my father...Again! And Azula...She hates me!"

Aang stared at Katara for a short moment, and then at Zuko.

Hakoda looked Katara in the eye. "Are you going to go on this mission, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe?" He asked in a stern tone. "We won't bother you if you chose to stay." The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

Katara swallowed. She looked at everyone. Haru and Teo eyed her evenly, Sokka and Suki held a steady gaze on her. The Duke was playing with a chunk of meat on his plate, and Toph was licking some greese off her fingers. Aang was poking at his vegetaran wrap, and Iroh was sipping his tea. She dared to glance at Zuko. He was staring at her with wide eyes. "Ok, I'll go." She stood up and walked out of the room. "When do we leave?" She asked before she entered her room. The sun was about to set, leaving a golden streak across the air temple floor.

"Tomorrow morning, when the fog is at it's peek," Iroh said hastily. "That way, we can give you 2 a lift on Appa, and you can sneek in through Snakerock Forest, which leads right to the fire-nation city of the Oyster District. We don't want you to make a big scene entering the city."

Katara nodded, and shut the door. She was about to embark on something she would have never dreamed of dealing with, and for the first time in her life, she felt fear, excitement, and regret surge through her as she put her clothes into the sack that she was now carrying. She finished packing, and double checked her bag, just in case. She had forgotten her brush! That would've been a great loss! Katara loved her hair, and hated it when she didn't fix it up. She didn't like being around others if her hair wasn't either tightly pulled back into her braid-bun, or carefully pulled back into a half-pony-tail, all the while keeping her loopeys included in her hair styles. Katara tightened the bag shut, and opened the door. She began walking towards the washroom (which was right past Aang's room) when she heard voices coming out of his room.

"When you're on this mission, Zuko, you have to promise me you'll do everything you can to ensure that Katara doesn't get hurt. She's...She's _really _special to me, and I'm trusting _you_ with her..." Aang's voice trailed off.

Katara's heart jumped. Aang really cared about her. She knew that...But this was almost heart-breaking. What was she doing? Why was she going to go, leaving Aang here? Katara heard footsteps, and she quietly stalked toward Aang's door. She peeked in. Aang was sitting on his bed, his head looking down to the ground, and Zuko was leaning against the wall.

Zuko moved forward, bent down, and looked Aang in the eye. "I promise, I _will not _let Katara get hurt. I'll bring her back safely. I promise," Zuko let a small smile escape his face.

"I know this sounds stupid, but she needs...she needs more then just to be watched over. She needs you to actually love her. Even though she doesn't like you right now. Don't give up on her, Zuko...She might have a bad temper, but I know she'll learn to like you. I know it," Aang looked at Zuko with a small smile. "I learned to like you. You're a great person. I just-" Aang sounded like he was going to cry. "I-I don't want her to get hurt because of this...This mission." He closed his eyes, holding back tears. "She doesn't deserve it. She's really strong."

Zuko pulled Aang into a hug. "Aang, she won't get hurt. I promise. I won't let anything happen to her. I'll do my best to...love her," He pulled away. "That'll be my own personal mission."

Aang nodded. "Thank you, Zuko."

Katara saw Zuko stand up. She hurried herself to the washroom and shut the door. A tear rolled down her cheek as she slid to the ground, her back leaning against the wall. She burried her head in her sleeve, letting all her sorrows and worries out onto the blue dress, her mind spinning.

She heard the washroom door open, and footsteps that walked toward the washroom sinks, and she quickly stopped crying. _Probably Toph or Suki, _Katara thought, so she didn't bother looking. The sink began running, and then it stopped. She heard a soft 'thush, thush' sound, and then she looked up. "Zuko?" She stood up, and wiped the wet tears off her cheeks. "What are you doing in here?"

Zuko dropped his small silver blade that he had been shaving with and turned around, his face full of shock and embarrassment."What am _I _doing in here?" He eyed her. "This is the _mens _washroom!" He pointed to an insignia on the wall that held a picture of a bison on it. "The bison has horns, so this is the _mens _washroom."

Katara swallowed. "Oops," She said as she headed for the door and opened it."Sorry," She quickly ran to her room. Her embarrassment quickly faded, replaced by guilt when she saw Hakoda walking toward her room.

"Katara, are you packed?" He stopped at her door, leaning against the archway.

"Yes. I packed," She nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you. I know you're just trying to do what's right," She moved forward to hug him. She treasured the moment, storing it in her memory, so she could remember something while she was on this mission.

Hakoda pulled away, and looked her in the eye. "I've got something I want you to have," He pulled an old photo out of a little rag. "It's an old photo of your mother on our wedding day. It was painted after the wedding," He handed the picture to Katara.

Katara's hands trembled as she stared at the picture. Her mother was so beautiful! She wore a beautiful fir dress that had sequins and diamonds on the edges. The vail was a see-through lace. Katara's lips turned up into a smile as she fingered the picture of her mother wrapped in Hakoda's arms. "Oh, Dad," She said in a whisper. "She was so beautiful."

Hakoda nodded his head. "She was a gem, just like you are," He paused. "You need some rest. You've got a very long journey ahead of yourself," He leaned forward and kissed Katara's forehead before leaving the room.

Katara slept as much as she could that night, but she kept on waking up, thinking about the words Zuko had said. _"That'll be my own personal mission." _


	5. Chapter 5, Into the Unknown

**Chapter 5.**

Katara woke early the next morning. Iroh had been right-there was alot of fog, and it had floated into the air temple, sending a moist, cold, eery feeling into the temple. Katara gathered her stuff and fixed her hair. She made sure that her Mother's photo was tucked safely inside her bag of things, and she walked out of her room. Iroh was going over something with Zuko on the map of the Fire Nation, and Sokka was talking to Teo about weapons of some sort.

"Hey Katara," Suki stepped in front of her, with a bright smile. "Here, take these. I think they might come in handy on your mission." She handed Katara a small box that held some very good smelling teas. "I picked these up at Ba Sing Se before we were inprisoned. They are really good. They help you to take your mind of things."

Katara smiled. "Thank you, Suki. Take care of Sokka for me. Don't let him get into any trouble," She giggled with Suki.

"I will. And take care of yourself. The Fire Nation is a pretty ruthless place...Just try to blend in...and get something warmer to wear while you're there," She hugged Katara.

Katara stood next to Zuko, waiting for the good-byes. The frosty air flew in, making her shiver in her very cold fire nation outfit. Aang hugged her first, very tightly. "Good-bye, Aang. I'll be back before you know it."

Aang had a clouded look in his eyes. "Or you won't," He stepped back, looked at Zuko, then briefly hugged him.

Toph came next. "I hope you know I really appreciate everything you did around here, Sweetness. You're a really great girl," She smiled and hugged Katara. "Do a good job kicking those Fire Nation butts!"

Katara laughed and watched as Toph hugged Zuko tightly. "Take care of her, Sparky, and feed her lot's of your fruit salad."

Zuko nodded. "I will."

Hakoda took Katara's hands and stared into her eyes. "Be strong out there, Katara. I'll be thinking of you every single day." He embraced her, and she felt tears streaming down her face, as her heart crumbled into tiny little peaces.

"I don't know if I can do this, Dad," She closed her eyes as the warmth of his body drew away from her.

He looked into her eyes, the blue of his screaming out at her as he retained his tears. "Yes you can. You're my daughter, remeber?"

Katara nodded, and forced herself to look away from Hakoda before another roll of tears would settle in.

Sokka's big grin disapeared as he looked at her. "I'll miss you, little sister," He hugged her. "Don't be away for too long."

Katara nodded, and watched as Iroh hugged Zuko. "Never, ever forget who you are, Zuko. And don't forget the ones you love, as hard as it may get!" Iroh hugged him tightly, then turned to Katara.

"I want you to do your best to understand my nephew. He has still much to learn, but the best thing you can do for yourselves is to try to understand eachother and your differences," Iroh looked from Katara to Zuko. He handed Zuko the map, and pointed at a place called 'Snakerock Forest'. "We'll drop you off here. I've been to that forest before. There are many dangerous animals. From snakes, to the extremely dangerous Saber-Toothed Antelope. They are usually found parading the forest seperatly, but I greatly warn you of their strength. They are creatures that learn by experiance. The more you fight them, the more they learn your weakness. The best you can do is avoid them at any cost. They usually leave large gnashes in the trees, so stay aware of those markings. Travel north, and you should make it to the Fire Nation border in no more then 2 or 3 days."

Zuko nodded, taking in all the information as his uncle spoke.

Aang had saddled Appa, and Katara mounted on. Her heart pounded in her chest as she, Zuko, Aang, Suki, Hakoda, and Iroh departed from the air temple, leaving a large gust of wind that hit Sokka and Toph's faces.

Katara waved in pain as she turned toward the foggy sky. The fog dampened her clothes, and she became even more nervous the longer they flew. She stared at the blank face of Hakoda, as he looked out toward the small glint of a rising sun.

Aang steered Appa upward, staying within the fog so they couldn't be seen flying in the air. "We should be here, right above the forest," He said.

Iroh nodded. He looked at Katara and Zuko, they both now stood up, side by side. "Are you ready?"

Zuko nodded, but Katara looked to the ground. Suki handed Zuko some rope. "This'll help hoast you both down the ground. It's really steady rope, so keep it around. I've used it before, when I first became a Kyoshi Warrior. We'll throw it back down to you when your each the bottom of the forest."

Zuko took the rope from her hands and nodded gratefully. He then turned to Katara. "Let's go," He stepped up to the edge of Appa's saddle, and tightened the rope around his waste, making sure he used a tight knot, and then tightened it around Appa's saddle.

Aang hugged Katara one last time. "Bye, Katara," he smiled. "I know you can do this."

Katara smiled back, but her smile quickly disapeared as she tightly grasped Zuko's wrist, pulling herself up onto the edge of Appa's saddle. She swallowed. Although the fog made it so that she didn't have to see the bottom of the forest floor, she knew she was going to be falling a very long way down. She had to trust Zuko on this one.

Zuko awkardly pulled her towards him. "Hold on to my waist."

She wrapped her arms around him, being sure to have a firm grasp on her pouch. She looked into Hakoda's eyes. He gave her a _you can do this _look.

"You ready to jump?" Zuko's warm breath hit her neck, sending an uncomfortable shiver down her back. Suddenly, the reality of what she was doing came surging in. She closed her eyes, tears streaming down. She shook her head. "I don't think I can do this." She looked up to Iroh, then Hakoda. "_I can't._"

Hakoda placed his hand on her shoulder's. "You can, Katara. _You can._" He nodded at Zuko, and Katara held her breath as Zuko tightened his grip around her shoulder, and then jumped down, a surge of strong wind hitting her face. She held back a loud scream, as the wind dryed her tears. She felt herself and Zuko slow down as the support of the rope held them firmly. She dared to open an eye. Zuko's scar was so close to her. She searched his expression. He didn't look too scared. But she noticed a small drop of blood trinkle down his hand, the one that was gripping the rope that scraped his hand as they slid toward the ground. She closed her eyes again just as her feet hit solid ground. They tumbled to the ground, and Katara saw the rest of the rope fall to the ground with them. _Farewell, _she thought as she remembered the look on Aang's face.

Katara gathered herself together, fixing her dress. She looked around. The forest was lush, but the fog was still settled on the ground, making it hard for her to see beyond a few moss-surfaced trees. Cold air surrounded the mysterious feeling of the forest, and Katara felt herself breath in the crisp smell of the forest. It had been such a long time since she had been in one, the last time being an odd one experiance. Zuko stood up next to her, his face full of determination. "Are you ok?" He glanced at her for a small moment, and when she nodded, he said, "We should probably start moving," He looked around as he wrapped up the rope into a small bundle and shoved it into his sac. He pointed toward a set of bushes. "That's north."

Katara nodded, following him into the hazey landscape before her. They walked through a marsh, which Katara hadn't liked at all, and they headed toward a small opening in the forest, the first rays of sunshine hitting Katara's face, lifting hope into her steps. "Do you think your uncle was right, about there being creatures in this forest?" She hesitantly asked him, shivering at the thought of a Saber-Toothed Antelope.

"I'm sure he was correct. I don't know why my uncle would lie about something like that."

Katara followed him, staying closely nearby as they traveled deeper and deeper into the forest. The trees made her feel enclosed, and uncomfortable. She liked air temples alot more then forests that seemed to have no end. She wondered what everyone was doing, and she finally noticed that the fog was clearing up, revealing the tops of the tall, green trees. The forest, which had alot of bushes that had thorns, was thicker then she had expected. She could barely see the blue sky that tryed to peek down at her, taunting her, saying, _I'm up here, and you're down there_. She panicked when she couldn't see Zuko's red coat, but was relieved when she saw him behind a large oak tree, fingering something on it.

"What are you looking at?" She approached him. Panic struck her when she saw that he was touching big gnashes, just as the ones Iroh had described.

"This is bad," He traced the claw-like dents in the tree with his index finger. "These trees are filled with markings like this. We're going to have to go around."

"Well, that's fine with me. I don't see why you're so scared," She said in a sarcastic tone.

Zuko tilted his eyebrows. "I'm not scared, I'm worried we might be followed by this creature." He walked past her, leading away from the trees with the claw-marks indented on them. He led the way toward a sound of rushing water. Katara felt releaved when they approached a small stream that splattered it's way through the forest. She lifted some water to her mouth, but a strong hand grasped her wrist, and she dropped the water to her feet. "What was that for?" She asked in an angry voice.

Zuko bent down near the water and dipped his hand in. "That water could be dangerous," He picked up a stone inside of the stream.

Katara saw a squirrel-bat scamper up a nearby tree, and disapeared into the thick green leaves. "I'm sure it's fine, what else do the animals around here drink?"

Zuko shook his head. "These animals are probably immmune to it. We're used to pure water. I don't want you getting sick because you drank water that might be bad for your stomach. Then we would never reach the fire nation."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Mr. Know-It-All," She replied, as the stepped over the stream. She saddened as they walked further and further away from the bubbling stream, it's happiness fading away.

They walked for hours, stopping only to catch their breath and sip a drink of water out of their bottles. When night finally hit, Katara collapsed to the ground while Zuko gathered broken tree branches and sticks to keep a fire going. He shot fire at the pile of sticks and thick brambles, and it lit up the forest floor around them. Katara's stomach felt like a tight knot with hunger as she layed down her sleeping bag (which she had carried with her ever since she left the Souther Water Tribe). Zuko simply layed down a red sheet, which looked extremely uncomfortable. Katara picked out some wrapped fish that Sokka had cought them before they left their trip. She unwrapped it, and then picked up a small stick and slid the fish around it, hovering it over the fire. She watched as Zuko did the same, but he bent some fire onto his stick, letting it cook the silver meat with ease.

"We have about 1 more day of this, and we should be nearing the Oyster District," Zuko said as he bit some of his golden-colored fish and chewed it. His face glinted behind the fire, brightening the details of his face and scar.

Katara finished cooking hers, and looked around the forest they were settling in. There was alot more trees in this part of the forest, and the floor was rocky and hard. She could barely make out the glint of webs that strung from one tree to the other, and the tall trees barely gave her room to see the starry sky. As she bit into her fish, the warm scales slid down her throat making her feel warm and content. The wind rustled the trees above her, making a groaning noise that sent chills down her arms. She leaned toward the fire, letting the warm heat wrap around her skin. A small sound of something moving in the bushes jolted her to look behind, scanning the forest bushes. "What was that?" She asked. She didn't want to sound scared, but she didn't want to be bit by a rabid animal, either.

Zuko stood up and made a flame of fire appear in his hand. He walked over to where Katara sat. He examined the bushes, as he got closer and closer, he froze. Katara stared with wide agitation, as he bent down toward a small bush. He then smiled. "It's a catcoon," He reached down and pulled out a sleek, small creature. It's eyes were gleaming as it clung to Zuko's arm, leaving small pink scratch marks on his smooth skin.

"A catcoon? Is it rabid?" Katara stood up, and examined the small furry creature that was gently bighting Zuko's thumb.

Zuko shook his head. "It's a kit, he probably lost his mother," He fiddled around with the catcoon, which began to try climbing up his shoulder. It wobbled around for a while, stretching is front legs up to get a grasp on his upper arm, but slipped back down to where Zuko's broad arm held it there. He stroked it's pure black fir, all the way down from it's spine to the white tip of it's tail. It purred contently, extending it's claws, in and out. "He must've smelled the fish and probably saw the warm fire."

Katara let a small smile escape from her mouth as she saw Zuko sit down on his mat. He wripped off small peices of his fish and held it out to the small kitten. The catcoon stretched it's nose toward the meat, and wripped some off. After it finished several peices, Zuko poured a few sips of his water into the palm of his hand, and the kit drank happily. Zuko looked up from his bundle of fluff and notioned for Katara to come see. She hesitated, but got up and walked toward the now stretched out catcoon.

It looked up at her, it's blue eyes nervously scanning her as she reached out to pet it. The kit purred as she rubbed the top of it's head. "He's so soft!"

Zuko nodded. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Let's keep him."

Katara shook her head. "We can't! We don't have enough food!" She cought her self scratching the back of the kit's neck. "And what about it's mother? I'm sure she is probably looking for him right now."

"You're probably right. These catcoons get really big," He stared at the kit, who was wrestling with his hand.

"How big?" She looked at the small kit, and tried to imagine it any bigger. "Because this guy doesn't look like he could grow very big."

Zuko laughed a small laugh and lifted the kitten up. "He's gonna get about as big as a full grown tigermouse." His eyes glinted in the fire.

Katara's draw dropped. How could they possibly keep an animal that grew almost as big as them? "We can't keep him. If his mother comes looking for him, then-"

Zuko interupted her. "Then we'll just have to hide his scent," He stood up, walked over to a bush, and gently rubbed the branches against the kit's fir. He did that around other bushes, being sure to lead away from where they were camping out. He returned with a satisfied look on his face and a soaking wet catcoon kit who was mewling furiously. "There was a pond," He explained when he was Katara's confused look. "I put his scent on all the bushes around that pond, and then I dipped him in the pond. That should keep the mother around the pond, not us," Zuko nodded.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Do you actually think that will work?" She brought a small cloth toward the kit and handed it to Zuko, who got to work drying the small creature off. After he fnished, the kit was dry, but his fir was very frizzy. The kit yawned. "He looks tired." Zuko brought the kit over to his red sheet, and wrapped the kit inside of it. The catcoon closed his eyes, and purred as Zuko rubbed him behind the ears. "And yes, I know it will work."

Katara smiled. He had just given that furry bundle his blanket. He had nothing to sleep with. Katara sat back down on her sleeping-bag and looked through her bag. All she had left was an over-sized Water Tribe fir coat to offer Zuko for the night. She looked over at him. He was gently rubbing the catcoon under the chin. "Do you want this?" She held up the coat in her right hand as she stood up.

Zuko nodded. "Thanks," He took the coat from her hands, his skin gently brushing against her cheek They stood for a moment, staring at eachother, the glint of the fire luminating their faces. The moment only lasted for a few seconds, as Katara looked away and lay down on her sleeping bag. They had a long day ahead of them, and she wanted to get as much sleep as she could. As Katara looked up at the sky, she cought a small glimpse of the moon, smiling down on her. It reminded her of Hakoda's departing words: "You can, Katara. _You can._" She fell asleap, the thought of her father still lingering in her mind. As hard as this mission might be, she knew she had to do this, for Aang, for her family and for her friends. And if that ment possibly building a friendhsip with Zuko, then so be it. She had to forgive him someday. If she didn't, they wouldn't be able to finish this mission.


	6. Chapter 6, Reality and Fear

Chapter 6.

Katara felt a soft breeze hit her face. She opened her eyes. Zuko was scraping something with his knife, and it made a very irritating 'shhh, shhh' sound. His back was turned to her, and the trees above him made him look smaller than usual.

"What are you doing?" She sat up, stretching her arms into the air. Goosebumps ran down her body as the cold morning air hit her in the face.

He looked over his shoulder. "I thought about what you said last night, there not being enough food for us. So I kind of decided to make us breakfast," He motioned to a dead catcoon that hung from his hands. He had been skinning the little catcoon he had found!

"Zuko! How could you? That's horrible!" She stood up and smacked him in the face. "You're a terrible person!"

"B-but I thought you'd be happy!" The catcoon dropped to the ground, blood spilling on the forest floor. "It smells good!"

"Zuko! Zuko...Oh Zuko!" She stared at the catcoon in disbelief. How could he do something like that? "_Zuko_!" She yelled again, and then was suddenly found herself opening her eyes for real. It had just been a dream. She looked up. Zuko was hovering over her with a worried look on her face...And he was literally _hovering._

"Are you ok?" he asked. "You were calling my name like 4 or 5 times," He backed away from her as she sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes, and then she turned to look into his.

"I was calling your name?" She began to ask where the catcoon was when she noticed the it was steadily rapped in Zuko's arms at the very moment. "Good." She nodded. She hated weird dreams, especially if they included Zuko in them. And now that she was traveling with Zuko, she couldn't help but dream of him.

"What?" He put the catcoon on the ground, letting it play around with a golden-brown leaf. It pounced onto the leaf, making a satisfied mew before tearing the leaf to shreds. Katara smiled. She couldn't imagine that little kitten growing up to be a beast. She didn't want to imagine it.

"Just a weird dream," She ran her fingers through her thick hair. It was tangled badly, but she didn't want to brush it until she could wash it. She then remembered Zuko had found a stream. A bath sounded inviting. "Could you show me where you found that stream last night? I want to wash myself," She looked at Zuko, who was busy stroking the catcoon's back.

He looked up at her, and nodded. "Come on," He stood with her, the catcoon in his arms, and she followed him to the small stream. It was too shallow to swim in, but it would make a decent bath. "Looks like it'll make a nice bath. It did for our friend here," He laughed, the memory of the soaking catcoon played through Katara's mind.

"Ok, thanks," She motioned for him to leave as she smiled brightly at the fluffy kit in his arms.

He smiled and left the area, lifting the catcoon onto his shoulders. It balanced for a moment, then scrambled down onto his chest as he supported it.

_He barely smiles..._She thought as she stepped inside the stream. She had taken off her Fire Nation clothes, revealing her undergarments, which she had carried with her since she left the South Pole. They were white, and they were a lot more modest then most undergarments. She liked how they felt, and how easy they were to waterbend in. As she bathed in the icy cold water, she couldn't help but wish she could make Zuko smile as much as the little catcoon did. It was funny how such a simple thing could bring joy to a distraught prince.

"I hate traveling on foot," Katara complained as she looked at Zuko's soaking wet hair. "I'm so used to traveling on Appa," They had begun traveling after Zuko had taken a quick rinse. She had offered to bend the water out of his long hair, but he had refused, saying he liked the cold, refreshing feeling of it. She couldn't argue.

Zuko only nodded. He had been quiet ever since they began traveling, and she began to wonder what was on his mind. She didn't ask, though, because she felt it wasn't her business. The less drama on their journey, the quicker they might make it to the Oyster District.

But she asked other questions, just to see if she could get any sort of response out of him.

"How long 'till you think we'll get there, Zuko?" She walked up beside him and looked into this scarred eye.

He looked...Different. Almost sick. But she tossed the thought aside quickly. _Zuko is strong._ She told herself. He had to be.

"I don't know," He replied. She wanted to make a small groan in her throat to indicate that wasn't the answer she was looking for, but instead, she kept quiet, and slowed her pace so she was behind him again. Maybe he was tired, like her. Or maybe he was stressed out about having to enter the Fire Nation again. She knew it might be hard for him, but the dull look on his face made him look like he was bound to die. But then again, they had no guarantees that they _wouldn't _die.

A low growl from behind her interrupted her thoughts as she spun around to see what was there. Nothing was there, but her suspicions didn't lower. She felt as if something was following them, and Zuko didn't look like he had heard anything at all. He hadn't stopped walking once, and hadn't asked her if she wanted a break. He just kept walking, his head down, only looking up occasionally to see if they were headed in the right direction. She could see the catcoon peak his head up from the sack that Zuko carried him in, sniff the air, then nervously pop his head back down. As Katara kept walking, being sure to keep a steady pace with Zuko, she couldn't help but think they were still being followed...She heard small noises behind certain bushes, and she could hear small grunts, as if there was something stalking them. So she finally stopped. And she didn't move, until Zuko noticed that she wasn't following him anymore. And he did notice, after a short while. Because he came running back with an extremely worried look on his face. He almost looked like he wanted to cry. But when he saw her, relief washed over his face. "What are you doing?" He shouted, the veins in his neck were throbbing.

She looked into his eyes. "I think we're being followed, Zuko...I can hear something in the bushes!" She crossed her arms around her chest, ready to argue with him.

He shook his head as he looked around. "I don't see anything. Let's just keep moving, ok?" He looked at her with annoyance. "We need to try to keep a fast pace so we can get to the Fire Nation."

She nodded, and slowly followed him. Something deep inside her told her that they were being followed...And Zuko refused to believe her. Why was he acting this way? So quiet and strange, as if he didn't care that her legs hurt. When they had begun this journey, he had often asked her if she was ok, and if she needed rest. He had attended to her whenever she told him she needed a drink of water. He had acted as if he really cared about her. But now, he treated her as if she wasn't even there.

After another hour of walking, when the sun looked like it was going to set, she finally had to rest. She was sweating terribly, and she almost felt faint. "Zuko...Stop," She called to him. A short distance had gathered between them, and she had to shout so he could hear her. He turned around and looked at her with questioning eyes, but didn't say anything when he noticed her sitting down on a smooth stone. "I'm tired," She looked at him. He looked tired, too, but there was something about his expression that worried her. He didn't look well. As he bent down next to her, he pulled the catcoon out of his sack and rubbed the back of his ears. The catcoon purred gratefully, and yawned. It must have been napping.

Katara bent some water out of her sack and drank some, letting the cold water refresh her her dry mouth. Thick gray clouds covered the blue sky, and rain began to pour unmercifully, drenching both Zuko and herself. She shivered. Zuko put the kit back inside his sack after letting it drink up a bit of rain.

"Great," Zuko mumbled. "Colds for both of us." He stood up and pulled his cloak over his head, then turned to her. "Can you waterbend the rain off yourself? It'll probably help prevent you from getting a cold."

She nodded as she stood up, shivering. The concern in his voice made him sound a bit like his old self...But he still looked odd. "Yeah, I'll do that," She bent the rain from her soaking clothes and splashed it onto a nearby bush. She did that every time her clothes soaked, and she did it for Zuko as well, but he seemed hesitant about her doing it.

The 2 traveled nearly another hour before they spotted what they thought was civilization, but only because of Zuko's keen eye. They would've walked right past the small light if Zuko hadn't seen the spot of light in the distance. They had been walking for a _long _time, and the sun was just setting when Zuko had stopped in his tracks, staring at what Katara thought was nothing.

"Katara, can you see that?" He pointed his index finger toward a spot in between 2 large oak trees. She walked up to him, but couldn't see anything. The rain wasn't helping her vision, either. Katara looked at him with strong curiosity, and hope, that he had found something. But she couldn't see anything from where she stood. She only saw the trees that were soaked with rain, and the muddy forest floor.

"I don't see anything," She shivered as the rain soaked her once again. She pulled her hands up to her arms, trying to warm the goosebumps that covered them.

"I see some lights," He pulled her over to his side, keeping his hand on her shoulder. "Right over there." His index finger dripped wet with rain as he tried to point Katara's gaze to the right spot.

Katara squinted her eyes, and to her surprise, she _did_ see faint light in the distance. "Are you sure it's not just the sun setting between the trees?" A small mistake like that would put them on the wrong track, and they might be stuck in the forest a lot longer then they had planned...Or wanted.

"It might not be," He looked at her. She could see a small trace of hope flash through is eyes. "It could be the Oyster District, Iroh had said we would come apon it suddenly." The hope in his voice made her feel secure again as she watched him squint his eyes. "I think it's worth a try, those lights aren't coming from the sun."

Katara nodded. She didn't want to say no, because she didn't want to destroy the new-found hope that he seemed to support. And she wanted to believe that what he was saying was true. A nice, warm cottage sounded very nice compared to the forest they stood in.

They ended up walking toward the light just as the sky began to darken, leaving a pale shade of the trees to portray their shadow's beneath their feet. Zuko tried to make a flame of fire in the palm of his hand, but it kept getting put out because of the unending rain. Just as Katara was going to suggest that they stop walking for the night and resume traveling in the morning, she heard a big growl and the shuffle of bushes. Her heart pounded as she turned around, to find out that she was face to face with a very large beast, it's yellow eyes glowing in the darkness. "_Zuko!_" She wasn't sure if he could hear the small whisper she managed to spit out, but Zuko had already turned around, his fists clenched in fear.

"Katara, get behind me, _right now_," He said with urgency in his voice. She obeyed immediately. The large animal hissed loudly, and suddenly, Zuko jumped back in alarm. "It's rabid!"

Katara hadn't noticed the white foam dripping from the large creatures mouth, but now she saw it, and it looked angry. She grasped the back of Zuko's arms in fear. "Zuko what _is_ that thing?" Her voice came out small, she could barely hear it herself. As she examined the animal, she oddly recognized the animal, but couldn't see much of it through the dark night.

"That's a full grown catcoon," Zuko's uneasy voice stated. Katara then remembered the little creature that had fallen asleep in Zuko's sack.

_This must be the catcoon's mother!_ Panic rose in Katara's chest. Why hadn't Zuko just let the catcoon go? Now they were stuck with it's angry mother!

The catcoon's jaw opened, revealing several large, sharp teeth that shined in the moonlight. "Zuko?"

Zuko turned around and looked her in the eyes. "That is a very, _very _dangerous animal, Katara. I want you to run. Run toward the light. I think it wants our kitten."

Katara almost felt angry that he would ask her to leave him here, by himself. She hesitated before saying, "Leave you here alone? With this...This beast?" She searched his eyes, but he kept giving her a steady gaze. "I can't! I won't!" She stole a glance at the animal, who was slowly walking toward Zuko. "Why can't I help you fight it?" She suddenly felt very helpless.

He shook his head. "If you get bit by that...You'll die! And I can't let that happen to you..." Pain ran through his eyes.

"Zuko! We can fight it together! I'm a waterbender...You're a firebender!" The rain was soaking her body thoroughly, but she didn't care. She would not leave Zuko here, alone, to fight a rabid animal that clearly wasn't about to leave without her kitten.

Zuko looked into her eyes, and grasped her shoulders tightly. "Katara..._Katara_," He searched her blue eyes, and for a moment, she thought she could see fear in his eyes...In Zuko's eyes. It clutched her heart and squeezed. He was serious. Zuko pointed toward the light just as the large catcoon hissed again, it's fur standing on end. "_Follow that light_. And don't turn around. Don't worry about me...I'll catch up to you..If...If I make it that far..." His voice trailed off as the furious catcoon hissed again, sending a shiver up Katara's spine.

Katara felt pulled between fear and anger. He was going to make her leave him, and he sounded unsure, uneasy. She looked at him once more. "Please, Zuko, we can fight this together," She protested. Would this be the last time she would see Zuko? Would she have to face the Fire nation...Alone?

Zuko closed his eyes. She could see the rain seeping off his scar and onto his red clothes. She could feel his fear, as he squeezed her arms tighter. "_Katara_," He whispered. She felt his breath against her cheek as he leaned in closer._ "Don't make me force you to leave._"

She backed away. He wanted her to leave, no matter what happened. He would probably die. For her. She looked back at the animal who looked relentless to get her kitten back. She then looked into Zuko's eyes, as tears formed. This was not how she imagined the trip to turn out, with Zuko fighting for her _and_ his life. But the fact that she was supposed to enter the Fire Nation without Zuko by her side, protecting her, lingered in her mind as she glanced toward the bright light. "Don't die, Zuko...I can't believe I'm saying this, but...For the sake of this world, don't die." She began running, as the rain kept pouring. Her feet hurt, her legs hurt, her heart hurt... But the thought of Zuko being alone in that forest with that beast kept her running toward the light. The glow that Zuko had found had put hope to her feet when he had showed it to her. She had been excited to know that they would make it out of the forest. But now, she _didn't_ want to travel toward the light, that had once promised hope. Her heart pounded as she tried to block the image of Zuko being bit..._Why? Why couldn't this all be a bad dream, and she was still in the Air Temple with everyone else? _She couldn't tell if it was rain or tears that dripped down her cheek. She couldn't tell if it was walking all day long that shot pain through her body, or the fact that Zuko cared enough about her to risk his life to save her. She couldn't tell if her heart ached from running, or from the fact that Zuko was probably being scratched to death.

_Why did I ever agree to this? Why did I ever agree to go on this mission? _Katara stopped running. The light had grown closer, but it seemed so far away that she didn't want to even try anymore. Not with out Zuko...Even though Zuko had told her to keep running...She couldn't! Her whole body was protesting, and she had to stop and rest. The pitch darkness scared her to death, but she found her way to a broken tree that arched above the ground, creating a small cave where she could sit. Just for a moment. As she squeezed in, and the rain stopped dripping on her head, she let herself breath. She let herself think. _Deep breaths...In...Out...In, and out. _She stared out into the forest as the rain poured relentlessly apon the environment._ Zuko...You can do this. Don't die, please don't die! _She let tears fall down onto her soaking wet clothes. Her eyelids shut, and she fell into a light sleep, as images of the terrifying beast ran through her mind. As the look on Zuko's face ran through her memory, weakening her.

Katara's eyelids flew open. It was still raining. And it was still pitch black. She scanned the forest around her. She could hear nothing but the faint sound of the rain and the now ascending howls of the wind. She shivered. _How long have I been sleeping? _She hoped for only a few minutes. She didn't want to have to face the fact that Zuko wasn't coming back. _He's Zuko! He's going to come back-just like all the other times he's come back! _Katara concentrated on keeping her eyes on the light that Zuko had told her to follow. She wasn't sure if she should get up out of her cave and keep following it, or wait her for Zuko. If he was ever coming back. She decided that she should wait just a bit longer, just in case he did come back. But as time slowly passed, her heart sank, and a growing fear pulled at her heart. What if he wasn't coming back? What if that beast had torn him to pieces? Katara didn't think that she would be able to make it out of this forest alone. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands as more tears flowed. She wished she was back at the Air Temple with Hakoda and Sokka. She pretended she was teaching Aang some new waterbending skills, or she was arguing with Toph. She missed her friends. Her family. She missed Appa's loud grunts. She missed Momo's happy chattering. She even missed Haru, Teo, and the Duke's playful voices that always scared her whenever she was cleaning the dishes. As the rain poured on, and her fear grew larger, she finally decided to get up and start walking. He wasn't coming back. The best thing she could do for herself was get to the Oyster District...And sleep. Then maybe she could find someone who could give her a ride to the Air Temple.

Every step she took toward the light felt numb, and she constantly looked behind herself, sometimes looking for Zuko, other times hoping that the the beast wasn't following her. Her mind spun as the rain kept drenching it's wrath down onto her clothes. She didn't bother bending it off. It was useless. Her feet were drenched in mud, and her legs were scraped by thorns. But she didn't care. Tears still flowed off her cheeks, but soon enough, she had stopped crying. Her whole body began feeling numb. The coldness began to overwhelm her, and she began to wish that she was a firebender, so she could warm herself whenever she pleased.

The light that was in front of her was getting bigger. There were times where she couldn't see the light, because of the mist and fog that had accumulated because of the rain, but she would catch glances of it through the rain, and she would keep walking. But suddenly, she stopped walking. This was pointless! What was she going to say when she entered the Fire Nation? They would question her. She wouldn't be able to give them a real excuse. She was tired, and dirty. She hurt badly. _Maybe I should just give up..._ She turned around and stared at the bitter darkness in front of her. She closed her eyes, wishing herself back to the Air Temple. When she opened her eyes, she was still the helpless girl in the middle of a forest, soaking wet and hurting from head to toe. There was no hope. She was even beginning to see things. She could see a dark shape moving toward her. It was moving slowly. Was it stalking her? She didn't care. She didn't have the strength to run. Maybe this thing would eat her up, just as the other beast probably had done to Zuko. She wouldn't care. But then she thought of Aang. And Sokka. And Hakoda. All her friends. And Zuko. Zuko wouldn't want her to die. He would tell her to run. But she couldn't. Her feet were so tired. She was so exhausted. She closed her eyes. She must be imagining things. When she opened again, there was a fiery red light. It was small. It was coming toward her. But then it disappeared, and there was that shape again. The light reappeared, and then Katara saw. It was Zuko. He was holding a ball of fire in the palm of his hand. He was soaking wet, but he didn't look harmed. She closed her eyes. Was her mind playing tricks on her again? She opened up, but he was still there. Her heart pounded. Relief flooded her body.

"...Zuko?" She choked the words out as the shape turned to look at her. It was Zuko. The way he moved, the way little fire disappeared but reappeared just as quickly as it had gone. And before she could say the word again, she was in his arms. He hugged her tightly. She could hear his breathing. It was fast, as if he had been scared, too. She squeezed him. She could feel his soaking wet back, and she could feel his wet hair dripping onto her cheeks. The fear, the numbness, the pain, and the hopeless feelings all faded away as she stood in his firm grasp. "You're ok," She whispered, closing her eyes.

"Yes. Yes I am," She could feel his arms squeezing her tighter. She didn't want to let go, but he drew back, and lit another fire in his hand. She could see the amber glow of his eyes, and there was a look of horror on his face. "You look so tired, Katara," He frowned. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this."

She nodded, remembering the pain she had felt. "It's not your fault..And what about you?" She could barely see him as his fire kept blowing out, but she imagined he was just about as battered and hurt as she was, if not, worse.

"Doesn't matter, just as long as you're ok," He grabbed hold of her arm. "We need to get some rest." Katara nodded. She wasn't about to argue with him.

"In this rain?" She shivered. Sleeping in the rain wouldn't be fun, but she couldn't think of anything else they could do. She was almost ready to pass out.

"Let's find a nice tree. A big one," He began walking, but he kept holding onto her arm, as if letting her go would lead him to lose her again. As they walked further, they stopped near a large oak tree. It wasn't raining as hard underneath the tree, but it still looked wet. "That's the best I can do," He said in a small voice.

Katara nodded. Sleep felt like the best option right now. They were both extremely tired. Hopefully the dawn of a rising sun would tempt the rain away, and they could find their way to the Oyster District.

Zuko settled himself next to the tree, his back leaning against it. She did the same, finally appreciating to be able to sit down and rest.

Katara quickly bent the rain off of Zuko, then herself. The rain was still pouring thickly when Zuko said, "Lean against me. I'll warm you."

She gratefully lay her head on his chest, and to her surprise, he _was_ warm. Warmer then he should be in a rainstorm. But she wasn't about to ask questions. He was a firebender. Maybe it was natural for him. As Katara slowly drifted into a very strong sleep, she could feel Zuko's steady arm wrap around her shoulders. She was safe now, and Zuko was, too. Forgiveness toward Zuko was not questionable now. It was all a question if he could just forgive himself. Maybe that was what had been bothering him earlier that day. Maybe he was trifling with his feelings against himself. Katara felt a ping of guilt. She could've been the cause of that. Her cold, hard attitude was probably hard to cope with. Katara knew she would have to talk to him tomorrow. But this time, she wasn't dreading it. Because she knew he would forgive her, easily, without questions or grudges. He was like that. He was Zuko.


End file.
